Vengeance and Ideals
by alsdssg
Summary: This is the story of Carsaib, the boy who became Durza. This is the story of the shade who became Galbatorix's righthand man.
1. The First Birth

Vengeance and Ideals

The First Birth

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

What do you think of when you hear the word "shade"? If you've read Eragon, perhaps you think of a thing possessed. Do you see the red hair or the red eyes? Perhaps both. Perhaps you think of the pointed teeth. If you have read Eragon, do you no think of Durza when you hear the word "shade"? But Durza was Carsaib once. Even as a shade he remembered Carsaib. He remembered himself. This is story of Carsaib and Durza. This is the story of a desert boy who became one of the most feared things in Alagaësia.

It began before he was even born. It began when Omar, son of Hamir and bodyguard of Rashid, leader of the Seraki tribe in the Hadarac Desert, married the crimson-haired Phoulan, daughter of Murad of the Mohmandi tribe. Marriages between tribes were uncommon in those days, and the Seraki and the Mohmandi had never been friendly. When Omar and Phoulan became man and wife, both were enjoying an uneasy peace. A year after their marriage, Phoulan went into labor with her first child.

Men were not allowed inside the birthing tent, and indeed, few wanted to be there. Omar stood outside instead and waited.

Inside, Phoulan suffered greatly. She screamed in pain. She begged the midwife to kill her to only stop the pain. The older woman merely clucked and attempted to soothe her. Finally, after eight hours, Phoulan was delivered of a large, red baby boy. Even when he came out, his head was covered with that scarlet hair that marked Phoulan as an outsider among the dark-haired Seraki.

Phoulan herself had fainted and was in delirium for days. Omar could not bask in the joy of a healthy son because of his worry. The tribal healer and the midwife had to rush him out of the ten several times because he was doing more harm than good. Once, Rashid had to summon him back to his duties. At last, Phoulan recovered. She named the baby Carsaib. She knew this would be her first, last, and only child because another one would kill her.

I know it was short, but it's just an intro. The next chapter will be longer.


	2. Archery and Hadassah

Archery and Hadassah

_**Pronunciation guide:**_

_**Hadassah: Hah-dahs-sah**_

_**Phoulan: Poo-lahn**_

_**Carsaib (according to whikepedia): Car-say**_

_**Xerxes: Zerk-sees**_

_**Murak: Moo-rak**_

_**Rahim: Ruh-heem**_

_**Rashid: Rah-sheed**_

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

An eight year-old Carsaib strung his bow and notched an arrow. He focused on his target, a makeshift bull's-eye and released it. It hit on the outside of the ring nearest to the bull's-eye.

"Well done, Carsaib," Omar praised his son. Rashid had appointed him teacher of the boys who would become defenders of the tribe when they were older.

"I could have shot better," he argued. It had always been part of his nature to push himself as hard as he could and even harder still. He somehow knew he needed to be the best soldier he could be. Something just told him that.

"I think I could do better," Xerxes, a hawk-nosed boy a year older than Carsaib, called out.

Omar waived Xerxes toward the front. The boy notched his arrow and shot quickly, too quickly. It landed just to the right of Carsaib's.

"Never say you can do better until you actually do," Omar admonished him. Xerxes bowed to Omar but glared at Carsaib. The adult did nothing about it.

The practice continued the rest of the day. Carsaib was the best archer and spear-thrower of the group, but he stood to improve himself with the sword. Xerxes, Murak, and Rahim beat him flat out in wrestling and bare-handed combat. Carsaib was tall for his age, but he was skinny. This didn't serve him well in either of the latter two arts.

"You can return to your tents," Omar shouted. All the boys trekked slowly. Their bones ached from the days exertions. Omar himself had to report to Rashid's tent, and he brought Carsaib along.

"Stay outside the tent," Omar ordered. Carsaib had been told that the tribe's leader did not wish or need to be bothered by children during his important meetings even if those reports concerned children.

Carsaib sat down in the desert sand while his father talked to Rashid. He scooped a handful of it up. It felt cool in his hand as it always did when the sun began to go down. He let the sand slowly fall into his other hand. He did this for several minutes until there was no sand left in his palms.

"Why are you doing that?" a curious voice inquired.

Carsaib looked up to see a girl who was about his age staring down at him. She was short and skinny with hair that appeared almost golden in the fading sun. Her head was cocked to the side, her small mouth was pursed, and her dark eyes were focused on him.

"Because I'm bored," he replied.

"It doesn't sound very fun," she remarked.

Carsaib shrugged. He slowly picked up another handful of sand and began to do the same thing.

"Well, what do I know about fun? I just help my mother with the water and the sewing and the cooking. Are you one of those boys who are training?" she continued.

Carsaib nodded.

"I suppose that sounds like more fun than what I'm doing, but I doubt any girl would be good at it. I tried to lift one of those practice swords the other day, and it nearly broke my arm," the girl prattled on.

"The real swords are much heavier," Carsaib said. He didn't mention to the girl that he wasn't great with the practice swords. Still, at least he could lift one with enough ease.

"Oh, I've heard that," the girl replied. Carsaib looked up briefly to see a frown cross her mouth. She put her hands on her hips and remarked, "You don't talk much, do you?"

"I suppose not," Carsaib responded.

"Well, you have so many people to talk to. Your father and those boys must have far more interesting conversations than I have with my mother and my grandmother. Some of the other girls are good company, but still," the girl stated.

"I just don't have much to say," Carsaib told her.

"But even now you look like you're thinking a whole lot," the girl protested. "I doubt I think half so much. I just say whatever comes to my mind. Everyone says I talk too much, and I should think more before I say anything."

"Well, at least you haven't asked if my mother's the barbarian," Carsaib replied.

The girl's dark eyes widened. "Oh, is Phoulan your mother?" she asked.

Carsaib nodded.

"Well, my mother always talks about how terrible it is that Omar married outside the tribe. I've seen her at the well a few times, and she seems nice enough, I suppose. I said that to my mother once, and she told me I don't know anything. I suppose I don't really. You seem nice enough though. What's your name?" Hadassah explained.

"Carsaib," he answered.

"Mine's Hadassah. Rashid's my father. I suppose I could see you again if you don't find me too annoying," the girl, now identified as Hadassah said.

Carsaib shrugged, "You're not that annoying. It's better to have one person who can talk a lot, and one who can just listen."

"I suppose so. I would like to hear about training. It sounds so fascinating. Everyone says I'm too easily interested in things, but I don't see what's wrong with that. Of course, I don't know all that much, or so everyone says. Please, do tell me," Hadassah begged.

Carsaib told her about his training. Hadassah listened intently, and, to his surprise, didn't say a word while he talked, only after he was done.

Omar came out of the tent, and Hadassah left. Even if she was only a young, unveiled girl of about eight, it was considered immodest for her to be seen by grown men who were not close relative.

Carsaib saw Hadassah occasionally after that. He learned that she put great store by what "everyone says" or her own opinions, depending on which one suited her best at the time; talked about whatever she wished; could be thoughtless or careless at times; was full of energy but not great strength; and several other things. He revealed less to her, but she never seemed to mind. Carsaib suspected that she was vain, but she was beautiful, so the tribe somewhat forgave her that flaw.

Those were the days when things were simpler. Those were the days before the Seraki and the Mohmandi clashed wills once again.

**_I tried to avoid making Hadassah a Sue by making her not very bright, careless and thoughtless, not amazingly strong or gifted, and a little vain. Tell me if you think I failed. Please, review. Only one person reviewed last time, but one person put me on their favorites and another on their alert. I think the chapters will get longer as I continue writing. _**


	3. The Way It Is

The Way It Is

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

Carsaib was sitting on a desert rock, sharpening an arrow. It was the late morning, and he didn't have to train today. He looked up when he heard someone coming. Hadassah was walking and carrying a water jug. She didn't even seem to notice him. She was newly veiled at thirteen and humming a song somewhat off-key while swinging her hips. She stopped when she saw him.

"Why aren't you at training?" she asked puzzled.

"I have the day off," he replied. "Your father summoned my father to discuss something."

Hadassah's eyebrows went up in comprehension. Her mouth formed an O. "I'm going to get the water. It's the only time aloud out of the women's tents nowadays. Ever since I started bleeding, life's been dull. I wish I could be _useful_ instead of just sitting around weaving. I want to be something like a midwife or a healer or even if I could just be a wife and mother and make defenders."

"So, what will you do?" Carsaib asked. It seemed like he always had one word for every thousandth of hers. He didn't even blush at her mention of the menstrual cycle as he should have.

"That one boy who trains with you—Xerxes, I think his name is—says he wants to marry me. I'll do it if that's what my father wants. Anyway, I've heard tell he's a good soldier. He might be good enough to make it into Galbatorix's army. You know how rare it is for him to recruit somebody from the Hadarac. I heard one of my uncles saying he doesn't control us, so he won't bother with us," Hadassah blurted out.

Carsaib looked up from his bow and stared at her. He didn't want her to marry Xerxes. That boy was one of the worst he'd ever seen. He'd never listen to Hadassah. He'd use her and make her do whatever he wanted her to. He wouldn't treat her like a person. Carsaib knew he could treat her better. Another part of him also knew that Rashid would not allow his daughter to marry Phoulan of the Mohmandi's son.

"What is it, Carsaib?" Hadassah asked. Her mouth was pursed. Carsaib's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Nothing," he said.

"Tell me," she insisted, grabbing his hands. She might have been old enough to be considered a woman, but everyone said she had yet to learn proper modesty.

"Do you really want to marry Xerxes?" he asked after a while.

Hadassah dropped his hands.

"Is that all?" she asked. "Honestly, I don't see what the problem is. I'll do what my father wants. It's what I have to do, and I need to feel useful."

Carsaib shook his head at her. He couldn't tell her how he felt. It didn't seem like a good time for it. Then again, it would never be a good time for it. He took a deep breath.

"You don't know him," Carsaib said at last.

"Not many women do," Hadassah remarked.

"I do know him. He's arrogant and selfish," Carsaib continued. "Once you're married, you can't be friends with me anymore. It won't work."

"Carsaib, my father's seriously considering his father's offer. That's the way it is. Please, just don't talk to me about him," Hadassah begged. "I think I'll just go. My mother will wonder where I am, and as you said, we can't be friends once I'm married."

The girl picked up her water bucket and ran away from him. It occurred to Carsaib that she had understood more than he'd thought.

He continued sharpening his arrow with more force. He was still a better archer than anyone, including Xerxes.

Omar sat tensely outside his tent. Phoulan was hiding inside. His conversation with Rashid had left one very clear message: kill or abandon Phoulan or share her fate. He knew why it was happening. The Seraki considered the Mohmandi enemies once again. It had been what he and Phoulan had feared for years.

Where was Carsaib? Omar feared her would be killed by one of Rashid's men if he didn't return soon. He would have gone to look for his son, but Phoulan was in even more danger.

The red-haired boy appeared near the tent. He was stalking towards it. He looked bothered. Omar ushered him inside quickly.

Carsaib could see have nervous both his parents were. He didn't remember seeing Omar lose his cool. That didn't happen often.

Carsaib opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but a look from Omar silenced him.

A shout was being raised outside. Omar cautiously put his outside the tent.

"Come out with the barbarian, and we'll let you and the boy stay," a voice said. Carsaib recognized it a moment later as Rashid's.

"Milord, she has done nothing wrong," Omar protested.

"She's a traitor!" another man yelled.

"What has she done to you?" Omar asked.

"Oath-breaker!" another voice said. "He's sworn to protect us, but he's brought a traitor into her midst. Kill them both."

Phoulan grabbed Carsaib as he tried to go out the entrance to stand by his father. She walked out there.

"I will leave if that is what you wish," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

Omar grabbed her wrist. "You don't know what you're saying."

"They don't want me here. I'll leave," Phoulan stated calmly. The tremor had begun to vanish from her voice.  
"You'll die in the desert," Omar shouted.

"They say I must leave. That's the way it is, Omar," she said.

"Wait! The man broke an oath. Why should we let him stay? His wife is only leaving because she says she's going to. How do we know she won't still be a spy? I say throw the whole family out, and do what we like to the mother," Xerxes yelled.

Carsaib burst out of the tent when he said this. He pinned the older boy to the ground and pummeled his face. One of the men pulled him off Xerxes.

"The boy's possessed," Rashid mumbled. He turned to the mob, "We leave in the morning. They stay behind."

One of the men threw Carsaib into the sand. He felt a foot on the back of his head. Everything went black.

Sorry it took so long to update. I've been busy. Anyway, here are the review responses.

Ebz: Damn, you're lucky. Tickets to the Eragon premier? Have fun. I'm glad you like it. As for Carsaib and Hadassah, there will be more to that as the story progresses. Everything starts again when he becomes a shade.

Child of the Sky: Thanks. I'm glad.

PrincessBob: Thanks.


	4. Rogerik of Heldrin

Rogerik of Heldrin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the details of the plot.

Carsaib woke up reluctantly. He'd had the worst dream last night. It had been so real that his head even hurt where the man had kicked it. Wait? Had it been a dream? He sat up and looked around. The only two people there were Omar and Phoulan. All the tents were gone. He sank back into the sand. It had been real. They were doomed. No one could survive the Hadarac desert on their own. The whole tribe knew that. That was why exile was a punishment used more often than death. It was more efficient and every bit as effective.

"I'm going to go see if I can find any food," Omar said as he got up. The man looked more defeated than Carsaib had ever seen him.

"Carsaib, are you awake?" his mother asked.

The red-haired boy slowly raised himself from the sand. He nodded.

"Thank you for standing up for me last night," she said. "That was a very brave and loyal thing to do."

Carsaib shrugged it off. All he said in reply was, "Did they hurt you?"

Phoulan shook her head.

"That's because they know we're going to die, isn't it?" Carsaib asked. He sunk back into the sand.

"There is still hope," Phoulan comforted as she pulled her son's head into her lap and stroked his hair. "We could find another tribe, or we could learn to survive on our own. We know where all the Seraki's oases are. I had this same conversation with your father last night."

Carsaib pulled himself out of her lap and said, "I'm going to go hunt with father."

"He went that way," Phoulan sighed, pointing to the left. She blamed herself for what had happened, and she was afraid that Omar and Carsaib would end up taking exile the wrong. She sighed again. She wasn't even sure if there was a right way to take it.

Carsaib found his father standing on a rock. Omar had drawn his bow (the tribe had thankfully seen fit to leave them their weapons) and had it trained on a small bird. The bird tried to dodge the arrow a second to late. It pierced its heart and killed it.

"We have food tonight," the man said wearily as he caught sight of Carsaib and retrieved the bird.

"We need more," Carsaib said.

Omar nodded.  
"There's a hare over yonder," Omar whispered to Carsaib. The boy turned and saw the thing. He shot at it and killed it. Something about hunting was taking his mind off the exile, at least for a little while. He only stopped to wonder once if Hadassah had chosen to care about what had happened to him. Perhaps she had, perhaps she hadn't. It wasn't as though he'd ever see her again.

His thoughts and Omar's hunting were interrupted by a screaming coming from their camp. Both father and son ran as fast as they could to the sound of the shriek.

They saw Phoulan being grabbed from behind by a tall man with a long thin scar on his face. The woman kicked at his feet, but he wouldn't let her go. Omar notched an arrow to shoot at the man, but the bandit held her in front of him like a shield. He looked at Omar as if to say, "If you kill me, you kill her." The other three men in the encampment came forward. They had taken the few valuables they could find.

"Shame really," the scarred one said. He snapped his fingers with his free hand (for it had only taken him one hand to subdue Phoulan), and another man leapt out from behind a rock and beheaded Omar with one swift stroke.

"That'll teach you to mess with Rogerik of the Heldrin, eh?" the scarred one said, tilting his head the left and grinning at Carsaib. He still hadn't relinquished his hold on Phoulan, but she had ceased to struggle.

Carsaib shivered as he said this. The Heldrin were the most notorious group of bandits ever to live in the Hadarac. Their leader was famed for his brutality. And that leader was holding his mother captive right now.

"So you've heard our legend," Rogerik said, noticing Carsaib's expression. It wasn't a question. "That there's Terigon the viper. Maybe you've heard of our little slasher," he said, pointing to the man who had killed Omar.

"Let her go," Carsaib said, sounding braver than he felt. Maybe he could scare Rogerik into giving his mother freedom. Maybe. It didn't seem likely.

The man laughed, cruelly and mockingly.

"The son wants me to let his mother go?" he chuckled. The other four men laughed with him.

"Laugh, and the world laughs with you," Rogerik continued. His cackling was becoming more maniacal.

"You know where I got this scar, boy?" Rogerik asked.

Carsaib shook his head. There weren't any legends surrounding that scar besides the ones that said he had it.

"I got it from the chief of the Mohmandi before I cut out his throat.This here's a Mohmandi. Do you what I do to Mohmandi?" Rogerik asked. Carsaib didn't answer.

Rogerik snapped those long fingers again. Two men held Carsaib. He threw Phoulan on the ground and climbed on top of her. The thing that Carsaib had feared for his mother last night was happening now.

"Make him watch," was the order Rogerik gave to the two men holding Carsaib. They grabbed his face in such a way that his eyes were forced to remain open. He was forced to see the brutality of Rogerik of the Heldrin.

"Poor thing ain't very sturdy," Rogerik said with mock sympathy in his voice as he pulled himself out of Phoulan. "Didn't get many valuable from them. Least I got some pleasure. I'm afraid there's not much left to be gotten out of her. She's dead."

"What do we do with the boy?" Terigon asked.

Rogerik shrugged. "Leave him to bury his parents," he said snidely. With that, the infamous bandit leapt onto his horse without using the stirrup. The rest of the group climbed into their horses.

Carsaib sank to the ground beside his father's decapitated trunk and sobbed into the sand. The wave that had been building since last night had been broken. How could this have happened? He cursed Rogerik with every fiber of his being. That man would die one day, and it would be because of him.

This thought gave him the strength to move to Phoulan and cleanse her violated corpse. It was all he could do. He buried her too. As the last of the earth covered his mother, another wave broke. He began to cry again.

He looked over at his father. That man had been a faithful soldier to the Seraki. They had had no reason to exile him. It hadn't been their right. They should have been able to face Rogerik as a tribe. Rashid would pay as well, Carsaib thought as this fresh thought of vengeance gave him the strength to bury his father. It was the last strength he had. He collapsed into the sand again, right over his parent's graves. He didn't want vengeance. He wanted to die with them. His fingers wrapped around Omar's ceremonial dagger. He took it and slashed his right wrist. The pain felt good. It was relief. It was salvation. He blacked out before he could touch his left wrist.

Well, Carsaib's gone emo, and he's certainly passing out a lot. Don't worry though. Salvation other than death saves him in the next chapter in the form of a desert sorcerer. I also apologize for taking so long to update. Four fics at once is really too much. I'm almost done another one, so updates on this one should start coming sooner. They should come sooner now especially because I'm on Christmas break. I still have to write that paper for World Cultures though. Oh well. At least I finished the Romeo and Juliet one. Can I have five reviews as an incentive to update? Here are the review responses.

Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith: I hope you continue to enjoy this take. I think that Durza/Carsaib's past is a very interesting subject. That's why I wrote a fic about it. LOL.

T.B.C.J: I hope you liked this chapter. I'm going to try to update sooner.

Ebz: Wasn't the Eragon movie disappointing? It was so not like the book. And Murtagh, who was actually quite hot and quite good, was in it for like five seconds. And he didn't rip off his shirt properly. Ick. Poor you having a brother who plays the drums. All mine has is a guitar he never plays.

Anonymous: I hope you still like the interpretation. He's not going to keep being emo. Or maybe he will. He's just really upset now because his parents died.


	5. Haeg

Haeg

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

Carsaib was floating in a haze. His insides were freezing, but his skin burned. His right arm burned in pain. Was this death? If it was, why did he still feel pain? Was this hell? Was he paying for cursing Rogerik and Rashid with his dying breath?

He finally managed to open his eyes. He didn't know if it had been hours or minutes since he last managed to think a coherent thought. His first sight was a wild-looking old man sitting over a blazing fire. He shivered. It was night in the desert, and they were always cold especially in contrast with the days' heat.

He tried to speak, but his voice only came out as an incoherent rasp.

"Oh, you're awake," the old man said. Carsaib nodded, trying to sit up.

"Don't try to sit up," the old man ordered. Carsaib stopped trying.

"Who are you?" Carsaib finally found the strength to rasp.

"Haeg," the old man responded. "I don't know what you were playing at, slitting your wrists and all that, but never do it again." Haeg handed him a flask of water.

"My parents are dead," he explained weakly. The water had made speaking a little easier.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Haeg said. "Now, what exactly does that have to do with your attempted suicide? I wasn't aware that that could bring them back."

Carsaib glared at the man. Didn't he understand anything?

"They were murdered right in front of me. Rogerik of Heldrin raped my mother and made me watch. She didn't survive,"

Haeg shook his head. "The Heldrin. Oh gods. I'd like to personally hunt down and kill every single one of that tribe. If you can even call them a tribe. I find that a little hard."

"Then why haven't you?" Carsaib asked.

Haeg laughed. "I'm an old man, even if I am a sorcerer. Do you really expect me to do that?"

Carsaib felt his blood run cold. Could his luck get any worse? In a few days, he'd exiled and seen his parents killed. That had been bad enough. Now he was at the mercy of a sorcerer. He'd always heard tales of those men and women. Apparently, they wandered the desert alone (a feet unheard of for everyone else; that was why exile was such a punishment). They had unnatural abilities, and they occasionally offered a tribe their services. Only desperate tribes took them. Then again, in the Hadarac, desperate tribes were rarely hard to come by.

Haeg must have noticed his shocked expression, for the old man said, "Don't be frightened. If I had wanted to hurt you, I would have by now. Those superstitious tribe healers told you never to trust a sorcerer, didn't they? Honestly, there's nothing bad about us. Shades are what you have to worry about. They're the ones who've left their moral backing behind. We sorcerers still have a little of that left."

Carsaib frowned at him. What Haeg had just said made sense, and he wasn't feeling all too wonderfully towards any members of his former tribe. The healers were no exception. He still had one question. "Aren't shades the same thing as sorcerers?"

Haeg threw his gnarled hands up in the air and yelled, "Oh, holy ignorance, you know you've done your duty when people think sorcerers and shades are one in the same. Oh lord, desert rat, you're going to need to be taught if I'm going to keep you."

"Why did you call me that?" Carsaib asked.

"Desert rat? It's what you are," Haeg replied.

"My name's Carsaib," the boy retorted.

"Well, Carsaib, I'm old, and I'm not likely to remember your name for much longer, so I'll stick to desert rat. It's easier to remember," Haeg decided aloud.

Haeg decided aloud.

Carsaib sighed inwardly. He didn't have much a choice. He decided to ask his previous question again. "Not to be rude or anything, but what's the difference between a sorcerer and a shade? Don't they both control spirits?"

"A sorcerer controls spirits, but a shade lets the spirits control him," Haeg explained.

"Why would anyone let spirits control them?" Carsaib asked. His curiosity had gotten the better of him for the first time in a long time.

Haeg shrugged. "Sometimes he doesn't mean to let them take over him. He can try to control spirits that are too powerful for him, and they can take control of him. Some other sorcerers let the spirits control them for the great power it gives them."

"Great power at the price of freedom," Carsaib muttered.

Haeg raised his eyebrows. "Yes, actually. You're smarter than I thought."

"How do you control spirits?" Carsaib asked.

"For someone who was ready to condemn sorcery, you seem awfully eager to learn about it," Haeg remarked.

Carsaib shrugged. "I decided that I wasn't going to put much store by what my tribe's healers said. They abandoned my family and I. That's the reason everything's gone wrong," he explained.

"So, just because someone dislikes you, you're ready to ignore them?" Haeg asked. His bushy gray eyebrows disappeared into his hair.

"Well, they were wrong in this case, weren't they? They left me to die, and you've helped me," Carsaib said. Haeg's comment had embarrassed him slightly.

"At least you can defend your opinions," the old sorcerer mumbled.

"How powerful are you?" Carsaib asked.

"More than some, less than others," the old man replied.

"If you're a sorcerer, why are you afraid of the Heldrin? How can pure strength stand against magic?" Carsaib asked.

"First of all, the Heldrin rely on stealth and agility as much if not more so than strength. Second of all, Rogerik is a sorcerer and a very powerful one at that. Third of all, he has my son, and I would have to kill Terrigon before I could kill him," Haeg explained.

Carsaib remembered Terrigon with a start. That was the small man who had moved like lightning and beheaded Omar before he'd had time to react.

"What?" was all he could ask.

"He took Terrigon from me when he was a small boy. He said the boy had great potential in him. I don't know how he controls him, but he's the equivalent of one of the empire's attack dogs to Rogerik. I tried to get him back once. I gave Rogerik that scar he brags about. I've heard he makes up new story about its origins every time he robs somebody. I don't think he's ever told the true one. I suppose being attacked by a half-crazed, old sorcerer doesn't have quite the glory of gaining it in a sword fight," Haeg explained.

"What happened? Why did you fail?" Carsaib asked. He felt a little like Hadassah, asking every question that popped into his head.

"Rogerik is quick with a blade; that much is true of him. And as I said, he's an extremely gifted sorcerer. He slashed at me, knocked me out, and left me to die. He's sadistic, that man. He likes those he kills to die slowly and painfully. Starvation, lack of water, and heatstroke all seem to fall under that category for him. Unfortunately, the only way to ensure somebody's death is to kill them yourself. You and I are living proof of that," Haeg replied.

"Is he a shade?" Carsaib asked.

"No, he's not. I think his reasoning is actually the same as yours. What was it you said? 'Great power at the price of freedom'?" Haeg answered.

Carsaib nodded.

"Rogerik likes to satisfy his own gains, not the gains of spirits. Personally, I don't believe that his goals are very different from what a shade's would be, but I suppose we should be grateful he hasn't increased his power. He's a terror enough," Haeg finished.

"Well, couldn't we stop him?" Carsaib asked. An idea had just occurred to him. It was mad, but maybe he could get Haeg to agree to it?

"Weren't you listening to a word I said?" the old man asked.

Carsaib nodded. "You said he's less than his legend. Maybe you can't beat him by yourself, but if you taught me sorcery, maybe we could win against him. Think about it. You'd get your son back, and I'd avenge my parents' deaths."

Haeg stared at him. He then looked into the fire. He seemed to be contemplating the idea. At last he said, "That just might be mad enough to work."

Carsaib managed to sit up because of his excitement. His arm even seemed to burn less.

"You'll have to recover first. Then, you'll have to learn the Ancient Language well enough. Thirdly, you'll have to learn to sense spirits. They're all around you, and you can feel them if you know how. You have to learn how to do that before you can control them," Haeg explained.

"What's the Ancient Language?" Carsaib asked. He'd collapsed on the sand again. His arm hurt too much.

"It's the true language. Fire is brisingr for example. It's not just a word for fire; it's the word for fire. Adurna works the same way for water, and garjzla does for light," Haeg explained.

Carsaib sat there, committing the three words he'd just learned to memory.

"Once you know the word, you have control of the object. Then there's the energy of getting it to do what you want it to do. What you have to do is bind a spirit to you, and then command it using the Ancient Language. Some spirits have the power to do more than other spirits do. You normally trap one in a certain object and bring it to life only when you need its help," Haeg continued.

Carsaib nodded. He hadn't ever felt this excited about anything, not even training. There was something else as well. Sorcery would give him a chance to enact his vengeance on Rogerik of Heldrin. That was what he wanted more than anything else. He barely heard Haeg say, "Swear to me in the Ancient Language that you will not attempt to summon a spirit until I say you are ready to start. You can't break those oaths ever, and you can't lie in it either." Haeg told him what to say, and Carsaib said it. He didn't care. He only wanted to learn.

"By the way," he heard Haeg say, "I also had you just swear never to attempt suicide again."

Shiro Ryuu: Thank you for such a long review. I'm glad you like it. The name Carsaib doesn't come in until the end of Eragon. By the way, the book is so much better than the movie, and it's very different from it. I'll try to improve getting inside the character's heads. That's hard to do without overdoing it.

Amuruk Wolfheart: I hope you liked this chapter, and I'm glad you like the story.

Ebz: Yeah, but Haeg'll stop him from being emo. At least temporarily. He's thirteen by the way. I think I mentioned that in chapter three, but you might have missed that.

Edur Carthungave: Don't worry. Haeg'll straighten him out. I hope I've made the plot thicken more.


	6. Lessons

Lessons

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

Carsaib was awoken at dawn by Haeg.

"What?" he asked groggily.

"We have to move. A tribe passed by here not too long ago. If we leave now, we might be able to catch them," the old sorcerer explained.

"Why?" he asked.

"Weren't you listening yesterday?" Haeg groaned. "We're going to offer services to the tribe for money and food."

"What if we don't?" Carsaib asked pulling himself out of the sand.

"We're eating lizards," Haeg replied. Carsaib had the feeling that he wasn't joking. The boy remained silent as he and Haeg began to traverse the desert. The old man managed to keep up with him amazingly well. In fact, Haeg tired at a slower rate. Carsaib didn't ask why. He assumed it had something to do with magic. All in all, it was rather embarrassing to sometimes have to run to catch up with somebody old enough to be your grandfather.

They stopped at nightfall.

"They have horses," Haeg cursed, looking down at the hoof marks in the sand. Before, they had been trampled by the many footprints. "I should've seen that. We won't catch them. Looks like it's lizards."

"I'll eat anything," Carsaib said.

"That's the fourth thing you've said all day," Haeg remarked.

"What's wrong with that?" the boy.

"Nothing. I just made a comment," the old man replied, tugging on a gold chain that hung around his neck and fell underneath his tunic. A golden bat hung on the end of it.

"Sé lethrblaka thornessa sharjalví lífs," he muttered. The bat glowed and turned its head to Haeg. The sorcerer spoke more words in what Carsaib assumed was the Ancient Language, and the bat flew into the air. It returned a few minutes later with two lizards in its mouth.

Haeg sat still for a moment. He looked around as though he were searching for something. He paused briefly, murmured under his breath, and then said more loudly, "Brisingr." A bright fire appeared before them. Carsaib was amazed that the few puny sticks he'd managed to find had made a fire that big.

"What is that bat for?" he asked.

"The bat is a binding place for a spirit. If you find a particularly powerful spirit, you must use one of these things to keep trap it and hold it. Nika is one such spirit. She can actually hunt and guard. She can't make fire though. Only certain spirits can." The bat looked angrily at him. Haeg laughed at something.

Carsaib frowned at him.

"She speaks," Haeg explained. "She's a spirit of a higher power, a human soul who escaped from the Vault."

"Vault?" Carsaib asked.

"The Vault of Souls," Haeg explained. "It shelters all the souls of all the dead. It doesn't matter if they're humans, elves, dwarves, animals, or anything. The desert sorcerers all know of it, and so do the riders and dragons. It's also known as the void. No magic can pass between the Vault and the world of the living, but some souls manage to escape, though none know why. It's easier for lesser spirits to do it for the Vault holds them less, but for a higher being like a human, it's nearly impossible. Only the dead know what lies there."

Carsaib stared at him. The only bit of the story he had ever heard had been of the void. That was what everyone said death was.

"Can you bring someone from the Vault?" Carsaib asked.

"If you want to die," Haeg replied.

That shut the red-head up.

The old man groaned suddenly. Carsaib moved towards him in concern. Haeg waved him away.

"Why did I just tell you that?" he asked. "That was too much information too early."

Carsaib laughed to himself.

"I'm going to start teaching you the Ancient Language now," Haeg began. "Brisingr is fire. Lethrblaka is bat. Líf is life. If you want to make a word possessive, just add an s. Sharjalví is movement. Sé is may. Hávr is have. So, 'Sé orúm lethrblaka thornessa,' means, 'May this serpent have life's movement.'"

Carsaib memorized the words. At least he tried to. It took him a few times of saying it wrongly to master the phrase and interpret it and one more time to properly define each word.

"Good," Haeg told him. "Now, let's get some sleep."

Things went like this for weeks on end. Each morning, they would get up and travel. They hadn't found another tribe to follow, so they went to what Haeg said was the nearest oasis to refill their waterskins. (The Seraki's oasis had been used to fill them the first time.) This took about a week. By the end of that time, Carsaib had learned more words and forgotten some of them. Haeg realized he wasn't processing all the information when he asked him the word for water and Carsaib had been forced to make up a word. Of course, this wasn't the right word, and Haeg decided to quiz him at random to make sure he was actually learning everything. Needless to say, this made Carsaib more eager to keep everything in his head.

After five months in the desert going from oasis to oasis, Haeg finally found a tribe they could easily overtake.

I know that chapter was not terribly eventful. The next one will probably be more so. The time with Haeg'll take up at least three or four more chapters, maybe more. Sorry it took so long to update too. Anyway, here are the review responses? Can I get four reviews for this chapter? It's what you gave me last one.

Juut Telcontar: Thanks. There are hardly any stories about Durza, and I thought he needed to have a few.

Amaruk Wolfheart: Yeah, I thought Haeg had to do that. Emo people are only fun for a certain amount of time. I'm glad you like my little twists. I hope the update came soon enough, but I know it didn't. In my defense, I've had a lot of projects and my exams are coming up. Actually, it might not be as bad this weekend because I didn't get math homework because my class won the no-homework game.

Shiro Ryuu: Yes, it was foreshadowing. I'm glad you liked those lines. The idea of joining with another sorcerer might have been obvious to some, but Haeg's proud, like you said, and desert sorcerers don't typically get along with each other. They're rivals for serving tribes and such. You'll find out how Carsaib end up being a shade later, or have you read the books by now? Oh well. Thanks again.

Ebz: Merry (Late!) Christmas and Happy New Year. I have a short attention span and a memory that stores useless information before important information. Oh well. I'm glad you liked the chapter. Unfortunately, Carsaib must become a shade because that is the way it happened in the books. Oh well.


	7. The Haven and the Pariah

The Haven and the Pariah

Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon, and I didn't make up the myth of Amazonia.

Carsaib stopped his trek suddenly as he caught sight of a building. He'd never seen anything like that before. It was a cross between a cave and what he had always imagined a permanent house would be. But who lived in a permanent house in the desert? He turned to Haeg and asked him this question.

"It's a shade's haven," the sorcerer replied disapprovingly after a long pause.  
"A what?" Carsaib asked.

"Shade's need to return to their haven once a year for their first fifteen years of that life," Haeg explained. "They build it, and then they put a keeper in charge. There's no one there anymore. That shade has either passed his fifteenth years or been slain. I don't think that that shade is still around. There haven't been any in years."

"What makes up a haven?" Carsaib asked.

"How should I know?" Haeg snapped. "It's something they know, but I'm not them, so I don't know."

Carsaib was silent for a few minutes. He thought of another question.

"What tribe are we following?" he asked.

"The Amazonia," Haeg replied.

Carsaib's mouth dropped open, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?" Haeg asked looking at him. Carsaib wasn't surprised often.

"The-the Amazonia? Are you made? They'll kill us!" Carsaib protested.

"I assure you, I'm quite in my right mind, and the Amazonia aren't that bad. In fact, I'd say some of them are downright likeable," Haeg said. "Well, most of the likeable ones I knew are probably dead by now."

Carsaib gaped at him even more. He'd heard all sorts of stories about the Amazonia. Every member of the tribe was female, and they were all fierce warriors. They reproduced with the male desert sorcerers who were willing and who had proven trustworthy. If the baby was female, they kept her. If not, the baby was given back to the men or left to die.

The rumors got worse after that. Some said they seared off one breast to shoot better. Another said that they killed any male who came within sight. Some said they were cannibals. Others said they drank the blood of their enemies. One rumor said that they ate the hearts of members of their tribe who died in battle. They were also rumored to be completely superstitious, but so was the rest of the Hadarac.

"If it makes you feel any better, I never met an Amazon who was didn't have both breasts," Haeg comforted. "I did meet one whose face had been cloven in two by an axe, but that's different."

"Her face had been cloven in two, and she wasn't dead?" Carsaib asked skeptically. He suspected Haeg was joking.

"Not only that, but she pulled the axe out of her face without crying out and used it to kill its former wielder. She was still alive the last time I was among them, and she was honored greatly," Haeg replied seriously.

Maybe he hadn't been joking.

"Why were you among them?" Carsaib asked. He instantly regretted asking it. He didn't want to think about the answer, let alone hear from Haeg's mouth.

"They're very superstitious," Haeg replied. "They needed help from a sorcerer at the time. They've let me come back after having left because I fathered their present queen. Don't look at me like that. I haven't always been this old."

Haeg pulled out Nika, breathed life into her, and handed her to Carsaib.

"I have to go into that haven and make sure there aren't anymore spirits left in it," Haeg said. "If there are, I have to banish them. You'll stay out here, and Nika will protect you."

"From what? I won't be in there?" Carsaib asked.

"You need to be able to pretend you're a sorcerer if I get killed," Haeg responded after a very long pause. "Nika will teach you and help you."

"From whom are we protecting me?" Carsaib asked even though he knew the answer.

"The Amazonia don't take kindly to strange wanderers who bother them. If you go too near to them or take their water, that won't make them happy," Haeg answered. "I might be in there for a while. Once again, be careful about going near the water. They're extremely protective of their oases."

Carsaib nodded and let Nika flutter around him.

_You'd better listen,_ the golden bat ordered.

"I will," Carsaib said. "You'll be protecting me, so I won't have anything to worry about. Besides, I can defend myself."

Nika rolled her eyes. He'd never known spirits could have personalities.

He sat down in the sand and played with it as he had five years ago when he'd first met Hadassah. He still thought about her sometimes even though he knew it was stupid of him to do so. He remembered how her light brown hair had been streaked with blonde, a rare thing among the desert folks or at least among the Seraki. He remembered the way she could talk for hours without running out of breath and the way she asked questions everyone else thought obvious. Then he remembered how she had refused to turn against convention and go her own way. She was just another part of that tribe whom he had to put behind him. She was nothing. But she was. He stood up and walked towards the oasis.

_Stop!_ Nika ordered.

"I'm thirsty. They're not going to jump out at me," Carsaib mumbled as he kept going.

_Fine. Get your drink and go,_ Nika relented. _I'll watch your back, and you'd better hope nothing happens to you because it'll be your fault if it does. _

"Annoying bat," Carsaib mumbled.

_I heard that!_ Nika protested. _And I was human once. I remember that much. _

Carsaib uncovered the oasis. It was surprisingly large. He dunked his head into it, and water streamed out of his ears as he shook his head. The cool water felt good in the heat of the desert. He lowered his head in more slowly into the oasis and drank. Nobody else was near. He looked down at himself. He was filthy. He looked at the oasis. It was more than big enough to accommodate him. Why shouldn't he bathe there? After all, he had Nika, and Haeg knew some of the Amazonia.

He pulled off his tunic. He'd gotten taller and more muscular from all the training and walking he'd been forced to do. He stood to pull off his pants when he felt a bolt pierce his shoulder.  
He turned and cursed. A girl of about fourteen was running down the slope angrily.

"Get away from there!" she shrieked, raising her crossbow to loose another bolt.

Carsaib grabbed his bow and shot quickly, aiming for the arrow the young Amazon had just fired. It hit hers in mid-air, and they both fell to the ground. The girl stared at him in shock.

"I didn't know it belonged to anybody, but if you want me to, I'll leave," Carsaib muttered, lying a bit.

"Thief!" the girl accused, though her voice was more nervous this time. He'd scared her just a bit.

Carsaib didn't respond. He only stared her down. The first thing he noticed was her body. She was almost as tall as he was, her figure was decent, and she had more muscle than most women. The next thing he noticed was her face. It was less pleasing than her body had been. Her thick dark hair was curly fiercely, almost frizzing, in the desert heat. Her nose looked as though it had been broken at least once, and her eyes were mismatched. The left one was blue, the right one was hazel, and the rest of her feature were rather ordinary. The third thing he noticed was her clothing. It was nothing like anything the women in his tribe had worn. She had no veil, and she wore a skirt cut above her knees with leggings under it.

She stared right back at him, letting her mismatched eyes meet his brown one. It occurred to Carsaib that she might be used to scaring people by doing this.

"Are you intending to let me go?" he asked.

"You know where our wells are. I cannot," she replied. Carsaib wasn't read this time as she threw herself at him, jamming her elbow into his stomach. Carsaib gasped in pain and hit back. She went sprawling onto the ground, but she clung to his arm, and he fell with her. She hooked her feet under his stomach and kicked. He flew through the air and fell onto his back. He pulled himself up quickly. She went for him again, but this time, he moved out of the way and caught her arm, twisting it behind her back. She breathed out through her teeth and raised her foot. He moved his out of the way before she could lower hers onto it. She dug her nail into his wrist, and he almost let go in pain.

Nika flew into the clearing and fluttered her golden wings in the Amazon's face. She stopped fighting.

_Haeg is in trouble. He managed to banish the spirits, but he's sick. He can barely move, _Nika yelled.

"Haeg!" both Carsaib and the girl shrieked at the same time.

"What have you to do with Haeg?" she asked.

"I'm his apprentice," Carsaib replied. Nika nodded fiercely in affirmation.

"He's my sister's father," Nika said shortly. "I'm sorry I attacked you. I didn't know."

"Your sister is the queen?" Carsaib asked. He had heard that it was uncommon for women among the Amazonia to have more than one daughter.

"Rogerik of Heldrin attacked my mother. She lived to bear me but died in the labor. The people say it was because she couldn't bear the thought of having a child by that monster. They all thought I would be a boy because of the way I had been conceived, but I was a girl. They say my eyes are the reminder of the coward my father is. They considered leaving me to die because of them, but my sister told them not to. Still, I'm a pariah, and I can afford to violate our customs less than any other. That is why I attacked you. Forgive me again, for I did not know who you were," the girl answered.

Carsaib shrugged. "You're forgiven," he told her. "Now help me with Haeg."

"What is you name?" the girl asked abruptly.

"Carsaib," he replied. "Yours?"

"Desdemona," she answered.

_That means misery in the tongue of the Amazonia,_ Nika stated blankly. The bat seemed shocked.

Desdemona said nothing. She merely waited until Nika began to lead the way to Haeg.

So, how did everyone like this chapter? I got five reviews this time. I'm so happy. May I have five reviews next time? Does everyone like Desdemona? I'm hoping her back story doesn't make her Sueish. She's not very pretty, and she wants acceptance. She probably won't be in a romance, but I don't know. Tell me if you think I need to fix her. Thanks. Anyway, review. Here are the responses for this chapter.

Nyra II: Thanks. I'm glad you like Nika. She was originally an idea of the tool of a sorceress character that I never wrote because she was becoming Mary Sue. I'm glad you like this story. I wish I could have a bat necklace too.

Edur Carthungave: LOL. I know the Ancient Language better than Carsaib too. I feels speshul. I had to spell it that way too.

Shiro Ryuu: Hi! This chapter was more eventful. I hope you liked it. Like you said, CP has a lot of chapters where nothing eventful happens. Oh well. You can't make every chapter eventful. You could read Eldest. It's pretty good, but it made me hate Eragon that character with a passion. It was good though. I'm glad you read the first one though. It'll make this one easier to understand. I'm glad I update. I hope this one came soon enough. Can you update your fic, The Last Mistake You'll Ever Make, soon? Please.

Amaruk Wolfheart: I know. Now, I've gotta study for exams. I'm covering bio today. I need to get photosynthesis and stuff about enzymes back in my brain. I decided to put the Vault of Souls in. I don't know why, but I needed to explain sorcery, so I used that. Haeg is fun.

LizzAnn: Thanks. You'll like the books better than the movie. I didn't realize there were so many Durza fans. It's cool. I hope you still like this fic.


	8. Saving a Sorcerer

Saving a Sorcerer

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

As they ran after Nika, who had begun to fly very fast, Carsaib noticed that Desdemona seemed to be getting more nervous by each step.

"What are you staring at?" she asked.

"You seemed nervous," he replied.

"I'll explain once we get closer," she said.

They finally reached the Haven, and Nika led them up the stairs. Desdemona seemed reluctant to go up at first, but Nika told her that no spirits were there.

_How can she be superstitious and still like herself?_ Carsaib asked Nika irritably.

_It's hard to live in that society and not be superstitious. As for liking herself, I'm not sure. She probably tries to prove herself over and over again to be more acceptable,_ Nika explained.

_You don't get it, do you?_ the bat asked.

_Not really,_ Carsaib said. _I was a bit of an outcast because of my mother, so I chose not to believe the Mohmandi were evil._

_Not everyone can do that,_ Nika replied.

"Where is he?" Desdemona asked nervously, clutching her bow.

"That won't hurt the spirits," Carsaib remarked.

"Well, you're the sorcerer. I suppose I'll have to rely on you," the girl said with a shrug.

"About that," Carsaib said nervously.

_Don't tell her you can't control spirits yet,_ Nika chided. _If Haeg dies, you'll have to pretend you can._

Desdemona looked at him expectantly. "What?" she asked after he remained silent.

"It's nothing. We have to get to Haeg," he said.

"I told you things about me. Tell me what it is you're hiding," Desdemona said with surprising authority.

So that was why she had been so frank with him.

"It is not important now," Carsaib said calmly.

"If there's something you can't do, I need to know now because I may not be able to convince my tribe to take you in," Desdemona said.

Carsaib turned to her and yelled, "What?"

"I told you I'm an outcast. They may choose to focus on the fact that I failed to punish you properly for taking out water—something I've done before—and it might just not work out," Desdemona said. "It's hard to explain."

Carsaib didn't know what to say to this, so he simply followed Nika up the stairs and to Haeg.

The old sorcerer was lying crumpled on the ground. Carsaib ran up to him and put his hand on his pulse. It beat, though faintly.

"So, desert rat, you're here? Nika told me you made the mistake of drinking the water," Haeg said faintly. His eyes were only half-opened.

"It all worked out," Carsaib explained hurriedly. "I got help." He didn't mention the fact that Desdemona might not be much help.

The young Amazon knelt next to him.

"I'll help you carry him," she said.

"It's fine," Haeg rasped. "I can walk." The old man tried to stand, but he collapsed almost as soon as he'd gotten up. Desdemona caught him.

"Perhaps I do need your help," Haeg mumbled.

"You take his feet, and I'll take his arms," Desdemona suggested.

Carsaib nodded, slightly relieved. So the girl did have something that resembled common sense. She'd been worrying him.

They both carried Haeg down the stairs carefully. They had two minor scares. The first came when Desdemona stumbled over her own feet, and she only just managed to keep from falling over. The second came when Carsaib accidentally slammed into a wall and almost dropped Haeg's legs.

Eventually, they got him out onto the sand.

"I think I can walk if you support me. That might make it easier and decrease the risks of doing more damage to me than has already been done," Haeg said.

They agreed to that. Carsaib supported the old man while Desdemona led the way. They walked past the oasis and to the peak of a hidden valley.

A woman dressed in a similar manner to Desdemona stopped them. Her face was partially hidden by her long, dark hair.

"What do you bring us, sister?" the woman asked, though the word sister dripped with sarcasm.

"I bring you the sorcerer Haeg and his apprentice," the younger girl replied. A hint of nervousness had crept in.

The woman stepped around Desdemona and shook her hair out of her eyes to see them better.

Carsaib gasped unintentionally when he saw her face. A long scar went down the middle of her face, dividing it. Her grey eyes watered with tears she refused to let fall.

"What's the matter, boy?" the Amazon snapped. "Have you never seen someone disfigured?"

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Why is he all wet?" the woman asked, turning to Desdemona.

Carsaib silently prayed the girl would make a passable lie. She didn't.

"He went near the oasis. Haeg had told him of its location. I was going to punish him as is proper, but then the bat that follows Haeg came and told us that the sorcerer was in great danger. We brought him here. I know I committed an offense, but I could not let one who is important as Haeg die," Desdemona explained. She seemed to gain a little confidence near the end.

"Tell me, boy," she said to Carsaib, "did she trip over her own feet fighting you? That's what she did last time."  
"No, she fought well. Nobody won. Nika interrupted it," Carsaib said.

"That is good. I will take this matter up with the queen," the woman said aloud. Under her breath, she mumbled, "I should have expected this from a daughter of Heldrin."

Desdemona bit her lip as though she had heard, but she remained silent.

They both walked into the valley. Rows of tents were pitched there. There was not a single man among all the women. They glanced at Carsaib with suspicion, but none of them dared question the guard.

The woman led them to the largest tent in the village and spoke to the guard standing out there. They exchanged words in a language Carsaib could not understand, and they were admitted into the tent.

A young woman sat in the center on a chair of some sorts. She ran a whetting stone over her blade, making it more deadly with each strike. She looked up as they entered.

A large blue tattoo covered the left side of her face, and her eyes were rimmed with blue khol. She bore a slight resemblance to Desdemona, but the woman possessed looks that were more wild, exotic, and beautiful than her sister's.

"Why have you brought men here, O daughter of my mother?" the queen asked, standing. Desdemona knelt before her and told the same story she had told the scarred Amazon.

"Let me see the man," she ordered to Carsaib. The Amazonian queen knelt over Haeg. Her expression was indecipherable.

"It is Haeg," she declared, standing. "Sister Lara, go find the healer," the queen ordered. "Blood sister Desdemona, find the apprentice lodgings."

Desdemona nodded and turned to leave. Carsaib didn't follow her.

"I wish to go with Lara to find the healer," he said.

The queen looked mildly surprised. She looked ready to refuse, but then she said, "He is your mentor. Go with Lara. Desdemona, go with them both, but first, come here."

Desdemona walked forward and braced herself for something. The queen slapped her. Desdemona's face went to the side, but she didn't wince.

"Since our mother is no longer here to do that and you have bled recently, I had to," the queen said by way of explanation. "Now go."

That's the end of that chapter. Here are the review responses. I got six. Thanks. Can I have at least five for this chapter?

Shiro Ryuu: LOL. You hated Eragon the character after just reading the first book? He didn't start to piss me off until Eldest. Desdemona had reasons for telling Carsaib the whole story after she'd just met him. It was kinda of an apology for attacking him, she wanted him to owe her information, and she wanted to prepare him for that fact that she might not be able to let Haeg into the village. I'm glad you didn't mind the mismatched eyes. I'm glad you liked everything but that. We'll get into Shade Haven's more once Carsaib becomes a shade. That is an event expected to occur in perhaps three chapters? I don't know.

Count Vladislaus Dracula: I'm glad you like it. Emo is sort of like a preppy Goth. They're less violent than Goths. They have quiet angst, and they're more likely to cut themselves. I think that's a good explanation. I don't know how to explain it.

Amaruk Wolfheart: Thanks. I'm glad I'm unpredictable.

LizzAnn: There are some Arya/Durza fics that are pretty good. Read Liberation or Equilibrium. I'm glad you like this one.

Laharl the Overlord: I'm glad you like it.

Ebz: Yeah, I skim sometimes too, and then I have to go back and reread because I missed something important. I'm glad you like Nika. You'll see what will happen with the Haeg thing.


	9. The Legend

The Legend

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

Lara opened the flap of one of the tents and shouted, "We have one who needs healing, Delia."

An old woman walked out of the tent. She stared down at Haeg's face. Recognition flashed across her own. She then looked to Carsaib and Desdemona.

"Who are you?" she asked the former.

"His apprentice," was his terse reply. He felt Nika settle herself around his neck as the life left her. Her spirit was sleeping.

"Very good," she said. "Desdemona, how are you involved in all this?"

Desdemona quickly explained the details before Lara could even open her mouth. Carsaib was surprised she'd gone as far as even that to defend herself. Maybe she wasn't as bad as he'd thought she was.

"I can't believe he walked into a shade's haven alone without even his familiar," Delia mumbled. "Even an herbalist knows not to do that."

"He thought it was a good idea," Carsaib put in, feeling the need to defend his mentor.

"Well, he did have to cleanse of evil, but it was still dangerous," Delia said. "Honestly, it might have been long unused, but the protector could still have been there."

"Protector?" Desdemona asked.

"You mean a spirit?" Carsaib added.

"Not a spirit. A person. Shade's find people to guard their havens when they're gone. Something about blood binding, but then again, I've never been to one, and since I'm not a sorcerer, I never will go," Delia said. She looked around and saw that Lara had left the tent. She then focused on Carsaib.

"You have yet to learn the art of sorcery. I can see that much. Don't let anyone know that," she warned.

"You didn't warn…" Desdemona began.

Carsaib cut her off by saying, "He told me not to tell anyone."

"Well, I'll heal him, and he can teach you," Delia said.

"Don't you tell anyone," she added to Desdemona.

"I wasn't going to," the girl said.

"Good," Delia remarked. "You two can go."

"I wish to see how you heal him," Carsaib said.

"You won't heal like I do. I'm just a witch. I rely on herbs and plants and potions and such to heal. By Great Hecate, you're ignorant about some things, boy," Delia said.

Desdemona chortled.  
Carsaib glared at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just nice to see her chiding someone who's not me. It's not as though she means anything by it."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Delia said.

Desdemona managed to keep a straight face this time.

"I must go," she said. Then she turned to Carsaib and added, "You can stay here or come with me."

"I'll stay," he said.

Desdemona shrugged and left the tent.

Carsaib found himself watching her leave. He then shook his head and turned to the matter at hand.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked Delia.

"You put out the fire on that water before boils over," she said, indicating a pot on the other side of the tent.

Carsaib hurried over to the pot and grabbed bucket of water, carefully dousing it.

"Now, bring that here, and _don't spill it._ You'll burn yourself, and I don't want to have to heal two people," Delia commanded.

Carsaib dragged the heavy pot over, being even more careful not to spill it. He didn't care what Desdemona had said; Delia was a dragon in the form of a woman.

Finally, after several hours, Delia declared Haeg healed.

"His fever's broken," she explained, "and he's sleeping normally now. He should wake up in a few days. Now, where is Desdemona? She's supposed to be being your guide?"

"I'm here," the girl answered, entering the tent again. "I came to see if you were done."

"Good," Delia said.

Carsaib glared at her.

"Why did you leave me with her?" he hissed. "She worked me to death. She made me carry everything."

"You wanted to help," Desdemona said with a shrug. Carsaib was beginning to wonder if that was her favorite gesture.

"So, where were you?" he asked.

She paused.

"I could tell you," she began, "but you must swear never to tell anyone."

Carsaib felt his curiosity growing in spite of himself. "What is it?"

"It's an important secret to my civilization," she continued. "You see, it's the reason we need so much water. It's our greatest weapon."

"What?" he asked, raising his voice slightly.

"Come," she said. He followed her further down into the valley. There were strange wooden buildings built there. Carsaib could think of no reason for their existence.

"Careful," Desdemona warned.

It was too late. The sand gave out beneath him as he was submerged in water.

Thankfully, Desdemona managed to help him out.

"I've fallen in them countless times. There's a lot of water under the sand here," she explained.

"Funnily enough, I figured that out on my own," Carsaib mumbled.

Desdemona shrugged yet again. Alright. It was definitely her favorite gesture.

"Come along," she said. "Ah!"

She'd fallen through the sand.

Carsaib pulled her out, fighting a laugh for the first time in a while. It was Desdemona's turn to glare at him.

"Stop staring," she yelled. Carsaib realized he'd been staring at the way her tunic clung to her chest when it was wet.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "You were staring earlier."

"I was not," she protested.

"Neither was I," he said.

"Fine," she conceded. "You weren't."

Desdemona then continued to lead the way. Both teens were watching out for covered oases more carefully.

"It's supposed to be a security measure," she explained.

Carsaib grunted in response.

She took a key out of her tunic and opened up one door. Carsaib's eyes widened when he saw what was facing him.

It was a large, four-legged animal. It had a long, thin face, and its ears stuck up in little points. It made a neighing sound and nudged him in the chest, forcing him to walk backwards.

"What is it?" he asked, backing away even more.

"We call them horses, or at least the elves do," Desdemona explained.

"What do the elves have to do with this?" he asked.

"It began over five hundred years ago during the time of the riders. We traded with the Empire then, though it wasn't called the Empire then. It was many kingdoms.

"A young Amazon named Hecate decided to brave the depths of Du Weldenvarden, for we are always near that forest. The trees are said to be larger than any in existence, and there are said to be many enchantments about the place. Few who went into the woods returned. Needless to say, this caused many to fear the forest, and indeed, Hecate only dared brave it because she needed to find food and water, for those were even scarcer than usual in the desert.

"Hecate wandered through the forest and found a large deer that would feed many. She went to shoot when something that she had not expected. A male elf by the Acelan stopped her. Or rather, he tried to. She fought him with such ferocity as an elf had never seen in a human. Still, being an elf, he triumphed for none can match their skill. He told her to leave the forest and never come back, for the elves love nature more than anything else and she had tried to kill an animal the elves called beautiful.

"Hecate explained that she needed food for her people. The elf asked her why none of the others had come with her. She said that they were too afraid of the forest. The elf commended her bravery, and she could not tell if he was sincere or mocking. Hecate thanked him in the same manner, and she went to leave, intending to hunt away from Alecan.

"However, she could not hide from him. He took her to the elf king, Evandar, who demanded that she leave and never come back or stay and never leave.

"Hecate announced that she could not go back to her tribe having failed them, so she consented to stay with the elves, all the while thinking that she would leave as soon as she had enough food.

"She and Alecan eventually overcame their differences and their adversity to become mates, yet Hecate never overcame her desire to return to her people. Alecan told her what plants could sustain life and told her where to find them in desert. He told her that the Amazonia were still alive and that they had found food and water. He then gave her one final gift: he let her keep the horse that the elves have given her along with his own. All this came at a promise that neither Hecate nor any of her sisters would ever harm any of Du Weldenvarden's wildlife and that she would see him whenever she could. She agreed and found the Amazonia again. They grew better at finding water and built shelters for the horses to keep them from dying. Eventually, the two horse produced their own tribe, and the Amazonia and the horses have lived in harmony ever since.

"As for Alecan, the elves eventually accepted what he had done, for it had alleviated tension between our tribe and theirs. The agreement has been kept all these years, and none have broken it."

Carsaib stared at Desdemona.

"That sounds like a legend, and not much of it sounds true," he remarked.

Desdemona shrugged. "Well, we do have horses, we are better at finding water than any other tribe, and we do know what kinds of plants are good for food."

"Perhaps," Carsaib conceded, "but how have you managed to hide horses for five hundred years? If you fight on them, how come they are not part of the rumors about your people?"

"Aren't they?" she asked. "Haven't there been rumors of Amazonia who have four legs rather than two?"

Carsaib thought for a moment. "I suppose I did hear a few of those," he conceded.

"If there have only been a few, I suppose it must be because my tribe has never encountered your tribe directly. What tribe are you?"

"I was of the Seraki before I was exiled," he said.

"Why?" she asked. When Carsaib was silent, she said, "I've told you a lot, haven't I? Tell me something."

"My mother was of an enemy tribe. We were banished for that reason. My parents were killed by your father," he explained shortly. He couldn't go into detail. He didn't want to cry in front of an Amazon. He didn't think they were used to tears.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'll show you where you will lodge."

"How do you ride them?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, seeming a bit confused by his sudden change of topic.

"The horses. How do you ride them?" he asked

"I'll show you if you back up," Desdemona ordered.

Carsaib did as he was told.  
Desdemona began to lead the horse out of its holding. She pulled several things off the wall. Carsaib could not fathom the purpose of any of them.

She put one of the things over the horse's mouth and nose and the other thing of its back. She put her foot into a strip of leather that was hanging over the horse's side and pulled herself up. She picked up the leather thing around its head and pulled. The horse began to move forward.

"I suggest you get out of the way," she said.

"Why?" Carsaib asked.

Desdemona dug her heels lightly into the horse's side and it surged forward. Carsaib moved just in time.

"You could have killed me!" he shouted.

"You're fine. Now, I have to exercise Menander," she explained.

"I won't be able to keep up with you if you're on that thing," he protested.

"Then climb on behind me," she said.

"How?" he asked.

She removed her foot from the leather strip hanging of the horse's side and said, "Put one foot in the stirrup and pull up."

"The what?" he asked. This girl was expecting to understand things about something of which he had never heard.

"This thing," she said, indicating the leather strip.

Eventually, Carsaib managed to mount behind her. He put his hands on her upper waist to keep hold.

She gulped slightly and urged the horse—Menander apparently—forward.

Carsaib bit on his lip to keep from screaming. He was higher off the ground on the horse's back then he'd expected to be, and the horse was going far faster than he'd expected it to go. What was worse was that Desdemona seemed to actually enjoy riding.

Finally, the torture was done.

"So what did you think?" Desdemona asked.

"I'm sorry I asked about riding," he said.

She looked slightly hurt.

"I'll show you where your tent is," she said dully.

Carsaib frowned at her. He didn't understand how he'd offended her.

They made the careful journey back to the front of the valley.

"This is where you'll stay. It's near the healer's tent, so you'll be able to see him," she said. Then she was gone to do something or other.

Carsaib sat down on the bed and went to sleep. He resolved to check on Haeg in the morning. He'd swallow his pride and help Delia. Haeg had earned that much and more from him.

Okay. That was the end of chapter nine. In chapter ten, he's going to learn to summon spirits from Haeg. I hope you all liked it. May I have six reviews for it? It's nine pages. Thanks. I got six last time, so it seems reasonable. Here are the responses for last time.

Shiro Ryuu: Havens are all different. I should have put in more description, I suppose, but there will be more after Carsaib becomes Durza. I've borrowed from myths about the Amazons for that. Yeah, Desdemona gets pushed around a lot. Carsaib does and will get annoyed with her a bit. Yeah, Eragon is just kind of annoying and boring in Eldest. The main thing he did that annoyed me was always go after Arya. I'd read it just so you can understand what's going on. I thought it was a good book. If you don't want to buy it, there's always the library, or you could borrow it from someone.

Amy: Yay on the 91s, especially since I didn't understand the short story at all. Glad you like it.

Amaruk Wolfheart: Haeg's death isn't coming up yet. I don't know much about many good Durza fic. I think he has a C2 called shade though.

Rachel Pierce: I'm glad you're hooked. I'm also glad you think this is believable.

Ima Yellow Unicorn: Thanks.

Blackrose305: Thanks.


	10. Summoning

Summoning

Disclaimer: I own the embellishments on the plot and all the characters except for Haeg and Carsaib.

"Desert rat?" Haeg's voice rasped, startling the boy out of his sleep. It had been two days since he'd seen the horses, and he'd spent most of that time in the healing tent, much to Delia's annoyance. The woman had actually left the healing tents, though where she had gone Carsaib had no idea.

"It's me," he said.

"Oh, gods, what happened?" Haeg asked.

"I don't know," Carsaib confessed. He thought back to what Delia said about Shade's Havens. "Was the protector still there?"

"How do you about protectors?" Haeg asked.

"Delia told me," Carsaib confessed.

Haeg snorted slightly. "That woman did always did know more about sorcerer's than any healer should. And no, the protector was dead. I found the body. That's what attacked me."

Carsaib grimaced. "A body attacked you?" he asked.

"Blood-binding," Haeg said. "The protector guards the haven until the Shade releases him. I don't think that the Shade had time to do that, so I had to release him. The Haven pretty much fell apart after that."

Carsaib was silent. He couldn't of a very good response to what Haeg had just said. The body thing was definitely unnerving.

"Anyway, I supposed I have to thank you for saving me," Haeg said.

"I was just repaying a debt," Carsaib said, trying to shrug it off.

_And he had help, _Nika said, coming to life and flying off of Carsaib's neck.

"Of course he did, Nika," Haeg said, putting out a hand for the golden bat. She settled herself upside down gratefully on it.

_An Amazonian girl helped him too,_ Nika added. _The idiot drank the water, and she would have killed him had it not been for my help._

"Which Amazon?" Haeg asked.

"The young one with the different color eyes," Carsaib put in. "Desdemona."

"Oh, that one," Haeg said. "How's she doing?"

"I don't know," Carsaib said. "All I know is that she rarely stands up for herself, can ride something called a horse, can shoot and fight alright, trips over and falls into everything, and can't decide how she feels."

"Alright? I almost beat you!" Desdemona protested. They all looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. "I would have too if she hadn't shown up."  
"I would not have lost to a girl," Carsaib said levelly.

"Did either of you know that she was eavesdropping?" Haeg asked.

_Missed it,_ Nika said.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Desdemona said quickly, bowing slightly to Haeg. "Delia just told me to get him out of the healing tents."

"Well, then," Haeg said, "we can both leave."  
"Are you sure that you're healed enough?" Carsaib asked concernedly.

"I feel fine," Haeg said, pulling himself out of the bed. He stumbled a bit but forced himself to keep standing.

"Did you get him out of there?" Delia said hopefully, poking her head inside the tent. She looked and Carsaib, and then at Haeg, and yelled, "What are you doing out of bed? You've just been attacked by a protector."

"Actually, I was attacked three days ago," Haeg said.

"You still look ready to fall over," Delia pointed out.

"But I'm healed," Haeg protested.

"It's not that it hasn't worked yet," Delia said.

"But you healed me," Haeg said.

Delia narrowed her eyes and told Desdemona to get Haeg a tent.

"Her majesty wishes to see him when he's healed," Desdemona explained.

"I suppose he'd better go then," Delia said. "He'd better rest after that."

"I'm going to teach him after that," Haeg said cheekily as he pointed at Carsaib.

Delia threw her hands up in the air in exasperation as Desdemona, Carsaib, and Haeg left the tent.

"Why did you annoy her?" Carsaib asked while Desdemona laughed.

"Nobody has ever, ever done that to her," the girl laughed.

"Thank you," Haeg said to Desdemona. To Carsaib he said, "Delia and I have been friends for years. She's used to it. She'll forgive me. Eventually." He then turned back to Desdemona and asked, "How is your sister?"

"She's fine," Desdemona said with a shrug before she stopped abruptly. They had reached the queen's tent. She looked at Haeg and said, "Only you are to go in."

Haeg nodded and entered the tent. He looked slightly nervous about seeing his daughter for the first time in years.

"Blood-sister, come in and bring the apprentice," the queen's voice rang out about fifteen minutes later.

"So," the queen said as soon as they entered the tent, "this is the boy that you have chosen for your apprentice. I have heard from Delia that he is loyal. I hope that he is competent."

"He is, Xenia," Haeg said. Carsaib was surprised that even Haeg dared to address the queen by her first name.

"He is tall," she said, "but rather thin. A boy, not yet a man. Can he fight?" Carsaib felt himself unnerved by Xenia's scrutiny. Her sharp, deep blue eyes seemed to bore into his very soul, and her gaze was all together rather condescending. She was a woman who had power and knew it. She was a warrior, and she was not be trifled with. This Carsaib knew of her more instinctively than he had known of any of the men of his tribe.

"He shoots very well, and he can fight pretty well," Haeg replied.

"Does he know sorcery as of yet?" the queen asked.

"He's in the process of learning," Haeg said.

Xenia looked as though she understood.

"Does he learn quickly?" she asked.

"Yes," Haeg said after a moment's pause.

"Well, then, father, I think that he should be taught quickly," Xenia said.

"He will be," Haeg assured her coolly as though Xenia's lack of respect annoyed him.

"I'll trust you with that," Xenia stated, her voice losing some of its formal coldness.

Haeg nodded.

"Let us get to our lessons, Carsaib," Haeg said as soon as they were out of earshot of the tent.

"I'll go," Desdemona put in. She walked away quickly towards the direction of the horses' stables a moment after the words were out of her mouth.

"So, what do you think of the Amazonia?" Haeg asked him.

"They're different," Carsaib said. "They're more warlike than any man I've ever met. How did Rogerick of Heldrin overcome their queen?"

"That I do not know," Haeg said. "I do know however that she left more than a few scars on him, though none are in places that can easily be viewed. Besides, he would never boast of being scarred by a woman even if she was Amazonian."

"Desdemona doesn't seem to really fit among them," Carsaib remarked.

"She will," Haeg said. "Besides, I doubt that she'd fit among any of the women in your tribe."

Carsaib tried to imagine Desdemona and Hadassah having a conversation about anything and found that he couldn't. Well, Hadassah would probably talk to her about anything that she could think of and ask her so many questions, but something told him that Desdemona wouldn't answer them half as frankly as she had with him. A knot formed in his stomach when he thought of Hadassah. She'd have been married by now. He wondered how she felt about that. He wondered if she'd just accepted it or decided that it made her useful. She probably had. The thought of it made him angry. She should have thought more of herself. She was worth more than Xerxes or anybody in the tribe. He still remembered how she'd been the only person in the tribe curious enough to find the truth about anyone beyond the rumors. He still remembered how she'd said that Phoulan seemed alright. He bit down on his lip. Thoughts of his mother upset him. He clenched his hands into fists. Rogerick of Heldrin would pay for what he did to her. She'd deserved a better death than that. He would make him pay. He'd make up for not being able to help her.

"Come on, desert rat," Haeg called out. Carsaib realized that he'd stopped walking in the midst of his thoughts.

Carsaib had to run to catch up with the old man, who was already standing outside of the tent.

They went inside and sat down.

"You remember how to sense spirits, correct?" Haeg asked him.

Carsaib nodded.

"Close your eyes," Haeg ordered. Carsaib did as he was told. He'd performed this exercise before. "Find Nika," the old sorcerer ordered a few seconds later.

Carsaib felt for the bat's spirits, scrunching his face up and concentrating hard.

"Relax," Haeg told him. "Call her. You know how the aura feels different from the rest of the air."

Carsaib forced himself to let his shoulders sag and his face unclench. He could feel the disturbance that Nika created in the air. It seemed far too big for the small gold bat. It felt as though there were a human girl of perhaps sixteen or seventeen in the tent. He could almost imagine that he could see a transparent, dark-haired girl sitting a few feet in front of him through his closed eyes. That was when he knew that he had found Nika. "She's that way," he said, pointing.

"Open your eyes," Haeg said. Carsaib did so and saw Haeg holding the bat in his right hand, exactly where Carsaib was pointing. "Very good. You've never passed before now. I want you to find a small spirit. The weaker they are, the harder they are to find, but the easier they are to bind. Now, why is that?"

"The stronger the spirit, the more it wants to be found. That means that it's a Shade spirit," Carsaib answered.

"Very good," Haeg said.

Carsaib closed his eyes again, relaxing even more than he had the last time. He didn't know how long he sat there before he felt a disturbance in the air of the tent. It felt like a lizard and looked like a lizard. He was about to call out to it when he felt another spirit. It was slightly larger. A hawk, he realized. Something told him that the bird had eaten the little reptile only to find out that it was poisonous.

"Pick one," Haeg ordered. "Don't get distracted by the two."

_Take the lizard. It's weaker,_ a voice in his head told him. _No, the hawk's more of a challenge. You can take him. The lizard's not worth it. _The other voice argued that the hawk was too strong.

"Take the lizard!" Haeg ordered.

Carsaib forced himself to break away from the hawk and reached out with his spirit to catch the lizard, binding its mouth. He felt Haeg press a lizard charm into his hand. He felt himself forcing the transparent thing into the gold of the charm, making it fit where it didn't want to fit.

When he opened his eyes, he saw only a slightly glowing golden lizard charm in his hand. Its red eyes glared at him, but it could do no more.

"Put it to rest," Haeg told him. "Eat something, and then we'll put its power to the test."

Carsaib did as he was told and ate from the small provisions box that the Amazonians had put in the tent. It was fairly simple, but at least it tasted better than lizards. Haeg seemed relieved to eating something slightly better as well.

"You really shouldn't eat lizards while he's your familiar," Haeg remarked, pointing to the lizard charm.

"It's a he?" Carsaib asked.

"Yes," Haeg says. "Goes by the name of Igor in fact."

_At least somebody knows something around here,_ a distinctively male voice said.

Carsaib jumped and looked down at the charm in his lap.

_You didn't put me to rest properly,_ Igor told him smugly. _You're lucky that you didn't take the bastard-hawk Durza. You'd be a shade by now if that had been the case. _

"You have an awful lot of personality for a lizard," Carsaib remarked.

_Durza and I were shape-shifters who got stuck as animals,_ Igor explained glumly.

"I'm sorry," Carsaib said.

_Don't be sorry for that. Honestly, with your carelessness, you have a lot to be sorry for, but that was my own damn fault,_ Igor said. _So, what do you want me to do?_

"Can you start a fire?" Carsaib asked him.

_Let me think. Do lizards breathe fire?_

"No."

_Do we have opposable thumbs?_

"No."

_Well?_

"Can you get some sticks?"

_I suppose I'll find a way to manage without opposable thumbs, though why you'd want a fire in a cloth tent, I don't know._

"How about you hunt when we actually need food and give _friendly_ advice?" Carsaib suggested.

_Okay then,_ Igor said. _Would you mind not making stupid mistakes such as thinking of summoning powerful spirits of shape-shifters who were strong enough to change into hawks?_

"But I didn't make that mistake," Carsaib protested.

_That was sheer dumb luck,_ Igor said.

Carsaib growled slightly.

"Well," Haeg said, "he does have a point. If he and I hadn't been trying to tell you otherwise, you would have been taken over by Durza. Still, it was good for you first summoning, and now at least you have a familiar."

"Why him though?" he asked, pointing at Igor.

_I'm asking the same question about you,_ Igor said.

_Shut up, both of you,_ Nika yelled. _It took Haeg and I a while to like each other, so just be patient, and try not to waste your breathe insulting each other. _

"Alright," Carsaib and Igor said at the same time.

"We'll try a temporary summoning tomorrow," Haeg said. "Igor can help you with that."

Carsaib groaned and left the tent. Maybe he'd talk to Desdemona. Even she was more enjoyable company than Igor.

_Hey, if I had those proportions, you'd like me,_ Igor said.

"I thought that I put you to rest," Carsaib groaned.

_Say, "Slytha,"_ Igor told him as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

_Carsaib, you were supposed to remember that from Ancient Language lessons,_ Nika chided. _Haeg told me to help you get along with your familiar, but you're going to have to make an effort. _

"I will as long as he does," Carsaib mumbled. He looked down at the lizard in his hand and said, "Slytha." The lizard went limp, and he hooked the charm around his wrist.

So, that's the end of chapter 10. I am so sorry about how long it took me to update. See, I'm writing three other fics besides this one, and this is my least successful fic. Plus, I've been really busy lately. I did get my six reviews for this chapter though. Eventually. So, how about five for next chapter? I'll try to update sooner. Well, I will update sooner. Anyway, I hope that you all liked this chapter. How does everyone like Igor? Carsaib needed a familiar too, I figured, and I decided to make it a stuck up lizard.

Shiro Ryuu: It's fine. Based on how long it took me to get this chapter up, you're fine. I hoped that I did the legend okay. I'm glad that you think I did. Carsaib and Desdemona are fun to write as is Delia. I'm glad that you liked that line. I know about Flame Rising too. I got the same flame from him/her/it for a lot of my stories, and I've seen her/him/it give the same flame to other people for their stories. It's pretty pathetic. I mean, at least be creative. Thanks for comforting me by the way. Or whatever you wanna call it.

Ima Yellow Unicorn: Thanks. I'm glad that you liked it.

Night Dragon9: Thanks. Angst is sorta like tragedy but rawer. It gets more angsty after bad things start happening to Carsaib again.

AnimeAlchemist: Thanks. I'm so sorry about how long it took me to update.

Haru Hotaru: Thanks so much. I'm glad that you like Nika and Desdemona.

Amaruk Wolfheart: I'm glad that you like the legends. They're fun to do. Haeg's fun too. I'm going to hate killing him off, but he'll get to live just a little bit longer. I know how he's gonna die too.


	11. Battle

Battle

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.

Carsaib was awoken by voices outside his tent.

"What is it?" he asked Haeg.

_Battle!_ Nika shouted.

"What?" Carsaib asked. He knew that he could still shoot an arrow, but would he be expected to fight with magic?

_You have me. Remember? _Igor put in.

_Of course I remember,_ Carsaib said defensively.

_Thank the gods,_ Igor muttered.

"Get ready, desert rat," Haeg shouted, throwing his clothes at him. Once again, Carsaib suffered the demoralization of being slower than an old man.

Desdemona flung open the tent door, ignoring the fact that the occupants were in the stages of getting dressed. Her normally loose hair was pulled back into what seemed to be a million little braids, but Carsaib was sure that it would be flying all over the place if it hadn't been.

"Carsaib, you're supposed to stay in the back with me and the rest of the younger ones. We take care of the wounded with Delia," the girl gasped out.

"Wait," Carsaib said. "Who are we fighting?"

"The Sarsgani," Desdemona replied.

Carsaib had heard of them once or twice. They were marauders, though they weren't nearly as infamous of the Heldrin.

"Hurry," she said. Carsaib glanced at Haeg, who was already dressed. The sorcerer put a hand on the girl's shoulder and said, "You take him. I'll do what Xenia tells me to do. Desert rat, listen to Igor."

Carsaib had stopped dressing when Desdemona had entered the tent. The girl stared at him curiously and then turned around. He finally finished clothing himself and ran out of the tent after her.

"Why can't we do anything?" Carsaib asked.

"We're too young," she replied. "Besides, you're only just learning."

"I have a familiar," he mumbled.

_You're still incompetent,_ Igor muttered.

Carsaib made a face.  
"What is it?" Desdemona asked. She stopped running.

"Keep running," he told her.  
"What's wrong?" she repeated.

"My familiar thinks I'm incompetent," Carsaib muttered.

For some reason Desdemona found this funny.

"Come on," she said, starting to run again.

"I was going until you stopped," he grumbled under his breath.

They reached a large, black and white silken tent.

"This is the worship tent. We bring the wounded in to Delia and save the bodies of the dead," Desdemona explained. "If they die, we burn them tonight."  
Carsaib nodded. It had always been a custom among the desert tribes that the body's be sent off properly so that their spirits could be reunited with their gods.

"So, have you ever done this before?" he asked.

"I've never had to get people from the field," Desdemona answered.

"It's starting!" one woman shouted.

"For Artemis!" one shouted.

"For Hecate!"

"And for the blood-thirsty Ares!"

"For the sisterhood and Harmony, our mother, fight!" Xenia shouted, her voice traveling above all others. Mounted astride her horse, who had its forelegs in the air, with her black hair pulled back so that it appeared to cover only one side of her head, and her face painted blue, she was sight who would invoke fear into the hearts of the men.

Carsaib saw Haeg riding beside her, looking every bit he fearsome old sorcerer.

"Get in here, Desdemona and apprentice of Haeg," a woman who was almost as old as Delia shouted.

"What do we do, Corinth?" Desdemona asked.

"Wait," the woman said. "Just wait for it to begin. Then I'll tell you what to do. The front lines will fall first. When I tell you, get the wounded, and leave the dead."

Carsaib looked at Desdemona as though to ask how it would be done.

"I'll need your help," she said quietly. "When the fighting moves back or forward, depending, I'm going to ride up from behind with you. You'll need to help me clear the way. Can your familiar help us with that?"  
_It's Igor, and yes, I can,_ the lizard spoke up.

"I am sorry for not asking for you name, Igor," Desdemona told him.

"It begins," Corinth whispered.

Carsaib turned and saw one of the men's archers fire an arrow into the shoulder of one of the Amazonian archers.

Xenia brought her hand down, and all but the wounded woman fired. Some of the arrows were deflected by the men's shields, but most found their mark.

The wounded woman rode into the front and brought her blade down on her attacker. He pulled her down from her horse even as she decapitated him. Another man surged forward and ran her through.

"Why didn't we get her?" Carsaib asked Desdemona.

The girl's mouth was open in surprise and horror at the sight, but she composed herself and said, "She continued, and she was not down. She did not wish to be rescued. Look. Already her death has been avenged. There was nothing that we could do. We would have shamed her if we'd come to her rescue." It sounded to the young sorcerer as though she were trying to defend what had just happened.

"Well, we couldn't have gotten to her anyway," Carsaib mumbled.

Corinth and Desdemona both glared at him as though he had said something wrong.

_Never use incompetence as an excuse around these people. You're supposed to pretend that you can do anything and die trying to something that's stupidly impossible or not do it because it would shame another one of your "sisters," _Igor mumbled.

Carsaib followed Desdemona's finger and saw Lara cut down Xenia cut down the Amazon's killer and ride straight through the men. Lara and another Amazon followed her, and the rest rode behind them.

Carsaib saw Haeg surge his own horse forward, sending Nika ahead of him. Her golden wings had sharpened, and she was dividing the men more quickly than even Xenia and Lara. Haeg himself was killing quickly.

"Get to the archers' lines," Corinth hissed.

Desdemona leapt onto her horse and pulled Carsaib up behind her.

"Hold on," she ordered. Carsaib did as he was told.

_Let me off this stupid chain,_ Igor ordered.

Carsaib did so, and the lizard crawled over the ground.

_Say, "Brisingr," idiot,_ Igor told him.

"Brisingr," Carsaib said. He felt Igor tug on his power and pull it towards himself. The lizard caught fire.

_I'm going to need speed,_ Igor said as he burned in the sand.

"Hlaupa," Carsaib shouted as Desdemona's horse surged forward.

_I'm impressed,_ Igor said. _You actually knew what to do. _

With that, the lizard raced through the line of horses, dividing all those near the wounded. The horses of those reared and fled farther up the lines, moving the battle itself away from them.

Carsaib stomach almost rebelled against him as they approached the wounded. One woman's stomach had been sliced open, and yet she was breathing.

"Kill me," she hissed.

Desdemona froze, unsure of what to do. Her hand went to her knife, and then she dropped it back.

"We'll help you," she said at last.

"Give me that dagger," the woman ordered. "It'll be over in a few minutes anyway. Don't waste space. Do it."

Desdemona took a deep breath and stabbed her dagger through the dying woman's heart.

The Amazon gasped, and her mouth opened. Her eyes were frozen open as she stared up at the sky.

"Rest in peace, sister Callisto," Desdemona whispered.

They continued to ride through the bodies, taking all of those who could be saved. One woman's throat had been slit to the point where her head was barely attached to her shoulders. He saw several men pierced with countless arrows or with their heads gone or crying out for help, for the death-mercy that nobody would give them.

Both Carsaib and Desdemona moved through the ranks of the wounded as Igor led them, and neither paused to think on it until they got back to the tent.

"You've never seen death eyes before, have you?" Desdemona asked him when they got back to the tent. Carsaib was silent. "I don't like them either."

"I have seen them," Carsaib said abruptly. "On my mother. When Rogerick…killed her. And some day, he'll look up at me, just like that woman did, but he won't grateful. He'll be shocked that he had to pay. I swear to the gods that he will."

The priestess Corinth looked up at him. "Desert-rat, men and women both have been swearing that for years. The queen now and the one before have too. Many have died because they swore that. It's not going to happen."

Carsaib simply closed his eyes and tried make the lifeless eyes in his head go away. But they wouldn't. Instead, he turned them into Rogerick's own mismatched ones.

Desdemona met his eyes, a puzzled look on her face, and startled him out of his reverie. He shook his head. He didn't need to see any death eyes, not even Rogerick's. Especially not when they looked so eerily like those of the girl standing in front of him.

_So you don't want revenge?_ a voice asked.

Carsaib frowned.

_Oh, you still do. Hm. I could help with that,_ the voice continued.

_Leave him be!_ Igor barked.

Mm. I'm not unhappy with it, but I'm not happy with it. I am very disappointed in myself that I've been unable to update for this fic for so long. I seriously have no ideas for what to do before Carsaib becomes Durza. Please send me ideas for the upcoming chapters. I've also been very busy. Luckily, my vacation starts in about a week. Anyway, here are the review responses.

Weridness: Well, I finally did.

Amaruk Wolfheart: I'm glad that you like my familiars. They're fun for me too.

Anime Alchemist: Well, get confidence. Or whatever. The true form thing was just a random thing. I'm glad that it didn't ruin it.

Jedi Werecat: Yeah, I love Igor too. I love little bastards. I'm glad that you like my writing.

Vixen Hood: It was just a random idea. I'm glad that you like the familiars.

Rachel Pierce: Well, I always thought that the spirit who possessed him was Durza, but the other idea could work too. I'm glad that you like it. And Durza doesn't really possess a hawk. He's the spirit of a sorcerer who could turn into a hawk. And because he died as a hawk, he still is one. Sorry if that was a little confusing.

Queenmab: Thanks, Amy. And yes, I finally gave in to your nagging and updated.


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